Elizabeth Taylor buried at Forest Lawn

Los Angeles: Hollywood`s grand dame Elizabeth Taylor remained true to her style even in death by making a fashionably late entry to her own funeral.

The movie icon, who was buried at Forest Lawn memorial in a small private ceremony yesterday, had left instructions to delay her funeral service by 15 minute from the publicly announced time, Variety reported. Taylor died of congestive heart failure at the age of 79 on March 23. Taylor had left instructions that the multi-denominational services were to begin later than publicly scheduled with the announcement. "She even wanted to be late for her own funeral," a family representative said. Rabbi Jerry Cutler officiated the ceremony, which lasted about an hour, in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Glendale. Her friend, actor Colin Farrell recited poem `The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo` by Gerard Manley Hopkins while Taylor`s son, grandson and daughter read other selected works. Taylor`s grandson, Rhys Tivey, performed a trumpet solo of `Amazing Grace`. Covered in a blanket of gardenias, violets and lily of the valleys, Taylor`s casket was interred beneath a marble Michelangelo angel. Mobbed by fans and followed by flashlights for most of her life, Taylor had a peaceful memorial service, which attended by no more than a few dozen family and close friends. But the family is reportedly planning a public memorial service to honour the great star at a later date. Taylor, who shared a close friendship with Michael Jackson, was buried in the same mausoleum building where the pop star was laid to rest in 2009. The cemetery is already home to Hollywood greats like Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart and Jean Harlow. PTI